A client sent in this lovely Omega. It is not keeping very good time and needs some attention.
Movement looks to be in good condition, the serial number dates this watch to about 1950.
Watch is hardly ticking.
Here you can see me taking apart the winding/setting mechanism.
Lower balance staff is worn down to dust.
The balance staff will need to be replaced.
Here you can see the gear train layout with the train bridge removed.
Old mainspring.
I get a new balance staff
Old balance staff removed.
New balance staff fitted.
The movement has been cleaned and I see that the new balance moves freely with the cap jewels put back in place.
New mainspring
Gear train back in place.
Setting/winding mechanism going back in place.
Base movement ready for the dial and hands.
Great patinated dial. I have replaced the compound on the hands as the old compound was falling apart and had a badly toned repair.
Movement is in excellent condition.
Watch is now preforming much better!
Very nice classic Omega!
3 Responses to Service/repair: Omega 265
Great job Mitka – out of interest, in the re-cased movement photo the regulator is pointing fully ‘retarded’ – did it end up more in the middle once you’d regulated it? If not, would there be a reason for this?
I could add weight to the balance wheel screws and slow it down and then poise the balance, so you can have the regulator in the middle, but that would take a lot of time, effort and is very risky (and I would charge extra). So much better to adjust the speed with the regulator;)
Interesting, I guess in many instances with vintage watches you are reversing other previous watchmakers’ ‘tweaks’ and bodges that have happened along the way.